October 2008 Vacation Trip

On September 25th, we left to visit Andria and Michael and granddaughter, Kathryn Rose (Katy), in Philadelphia. We usually make it a two day trip which gives us time to explore along the way. The drive was uneventful up through the Shenandoah Valley on I-81. We tried a new route by cutting across I-66 east which connected with I-95 south of Baltimore and too close to DC traffic. People who know me know I am not the world's bravest soul when it comes to bridges and tunnels and airplanes and almost anything that involves a personal variation in elevation, if you know what I mean! It quickly became obvious we would have to go through the tunnels beneath Baltimore Harbor. A tense but uneventful passage. We had a wonderful visit with Andria and Michael, and Katy. We dined well and even squeezed in one of those library sales where a bagful of books cost $6.00. Andria and Michael are in the midst of having new flooring, a new kitchen, and bath installed. Beautiful. Katy was her usual charmer and we spent hours just watching and holding her. She is expecting a sister around the middle of February! Unfortunately, Katy had a cold that Michael caught and then both of us caught. One of those occupational hazards of grandparents! We still haven't recovered but are on the mend.

We planned to return home via the Eastern Shore of Maryland and on down through Virginia Beach and then drive the Outer Banks of NC. We began our return drive through the Maryland countryside to a little place named St. Michael's on Chesapeake Bay that Andria had recommended. It was one of those "quaint" little villages with a gazillion shops and restaurants. A place to return to some day. Just beyond St. Michael's, jutting out into Chesapeake Bay was a small island named Tilghman Island, accessible only via a drawbridge. We began our "death by seafood" quest here! A restaurant named Bay Hundred. From there we continued south to that dreaded Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel - a 17-mile bridge with two tunnels underneath the Chesapeake Bay. We were trying to cross it during daylight, but we failed. Once you get to the bridge, turning back and retracing your steps north to avoid it is just not feasible, I made every effort to remain calm until at the entrance to the bridge there was a sign that said "After 7:00 pm, expect 15 minute delays in the tunnels due to CONSTRUCTION" ! Oh shoot, said I. It was 7:30 pm. I will never forget the prayer offered up by cousin Dave's wife, Margie, one time on a return trip from Missouri when I crossed a bridge, the crosswind blew the van diagonally, and we slid across it sideways! Fortunately, we righted our "ship" and all was well. But I have never forgotten hearing Margie in the back seat repeating something about "Holy Mary and Jesus Christ...." And I repeated that as we started across. I was picturing yet another trip that cousin Sue and I made to Windsor one time in search of the site where Tecumseh was killed in The Battle of the Thames and decided to take the tunnel on our return back to Detroit. It was also under construction. The floor of the tunnel under the river there was GONE, just gravel with standing water and water dripping from the tunnel roof! Sue and I were laughing hysterically from fear as we made it across. We just knew the border guard would think we were on dope because we were laughing so hard and couldn't stop! This was what I pictured as we began this crossing. Oh shoot, said I. But a mile at a time, we made it across with no evidence of construction or delays. We were now in Virginia Beach and a quick note: The Garmin GPS was indispensible AS LONG AS WE GAVE IT THE CORRECT INFO. The next day we found our way to the Outer Banks. Kitty Hawk was the first stop, followed by Kill Devil Hills and the Wright Brothers Memorial. Next, was Nag's Head which was densely populated by those 2 and 3-story beach houses on stilts. 'Lots of great beaches here and tourist things to do. An interesting place. The name comes from the practice a few hundred years ago of the residents (one of whom was Blackbeard, the pirate) lighting lanterns, hanging them around the necks of their nags, and luring nearby ships onto the coast and pillaging them.

I am ashamed to say we ate our way through the whole trip! We ate lobster, shrimp, salmon, crab meat, crab cakes, flounder, oysters, bluefish (outstanding), and vats of clam chowder! We even refused to eat breakfast for fear it would spoil our seafood lunch!

At Nag's Head there is an island with a bridge a gazillion feet high to Roanoke Island where Manteo is located. This is another interesting place that deserves a return visit. Shops, shops, shops and interesting homes.

Continuing south is the Bodie Island lighthouse and then Rodanthe of current Hollywood fame, as in "Nights in Rodanthe", with Richard Gere based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks. We haven't seen the movie yet -- depends upon how it ends.... Still further south is Cape Hatteras Lighthouse -- the one they moved a few years ago because the ocean waves were destroying the lighthouse site. Unfortunately, we just missed the hours when one could climb to the top. Oh shoot, said I again. Then just a little farther south and we came to the ferry to Ocracoke Island -- a forty-minute free ferry operated by the state of NC. Except for a few minutes of rough seas, the ride was uneventful. Ocracoke is another tourist destination that, however, is pretty authentic -- quaint (there's that word again!) -- shops and lots of charter fishermen and boating tours. A real laid back place, but they truly think highly of their food and accommodations! Ocracoke is home to the "banker ponies", as in Outer Banks. These are similar to those on Chincoteague in Virginia (Did you ever read "Misty of Chincoteague"?). These ponies really are a breed apart from the average horse due to a different spinal configuration and one fewer rib than other horses. Pelicans are numerous in the harbor area around the restaurants and one day we stood on the beach talking to a fisherman and watched a dolphin cavorting just a few yards out.

Finally, we were ready to begin working our way back home and signed up for the 2 1/2 hour big ferry ride back to the mainland across Albemarle Sound. This ferry was still only $12.00. The weather was beautiful and the trip uneventful. We ended up in Morehead City (not too exciting) and headed for New Bern on the Neuse and Trent Rivers. This was perhaps the oldest, most interesting town we saw. Beautiful old restored homes reminiscent of Charleston, SC. Lots of history here. From New Bern the next day, we seriously began the run for home! But then we decided to stop overnight in Bryson City and look up some of our dearest friends. We saw them the next day, took a short peek at our old home in the mountains (empty, unlocked, and perhaps awaiting one of those Wall Street bail outs!) and then drove on home.

It was a great trip, but we are both thrilled to be home and feel we spent just about the right amount of time away from home.

If you're interested in seeing a few pictures of our trip, go to the link at the bottom of the blog and click on "More pics than you will ever want to see" and when Picasa loads, click on the album titled "Nov 2008 vacation."